Quote:
Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest
http://www.csulb.edu/~mfiebert/assault.htm
Mercy, J. A., & Saltzman, L. E. (1989). Fatal violence among spouses in the United States, 1975-85. American Journal of Public Health, 79, 595-599. (Examined FBI figures regarding spousal homicides. During the 10 year period from 1975 to 1985 found higher murder rates of wives than husbands <43.4% vs 56.6%>. Black husbands were at the greatest risk of victimization. Spousal homicide among blacks was 8.4 times higher than that of whites. Spouse homicide rates were 7.7 times higher in interracial marriages and the risk of victimization for both whites and blacks increased as age differences between spouses increased. Wives and husbands were equally likely to be killed by firearms <approximately 72% of the time> while husbands were more likely to be stabbed and wives more likely to bludgeoned to death. Arguments apparently escalated to murder in 67% of spouse homicides.)
Wilson, M. I. & Daley, M. (1992). Who kills whom in spouse killings? On the exceptional sex ratio of spousal homicides in the United States. Criminology, 30, 189-215. (Authors summarize research which indicates that between 1976 and 1985, for every 100 men who killed their wives, about 75 women killed their husbands. Authors report original data from a number of cities, e.g., Chicago, Detroit, Houston, where the ratio of wives as perpetrators exceeds that of husbands.)
Most recent study.
Davis. R. L. (2010). Domestic Violence-related deaths. Journal of Aggression, Conflict, and Peace Research, 2 (2), 44-52. (A review article which examines domestic violence-related suicides. Author concludes that "when domestic violence-related suicides are combined with domestic homicides, the total numbers of domestic violence-related deaths are higher for males than females.")
This is what I have found myself. I'm still waiting to hear back from my requests yesterday morning. These, while they are in the USA certainly describe a distinct need for aid for men where it currently does not exist. I havn't been able to find a domestic violence shelter for men in the USA as well.
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Until the United States starts funding Canadian women's and men's shelters, this doesn't really mean anything with the conversation you and I are having. I was under the impression you want equal funding (in Canada) for men's shelters when compared to female's shelters. Some of the numbers you've posted have been wrong in the context of domestic abuse in Canada, with the domestic murder rate being the big one I looked up, and as a result I don't believe equal funding should be given (along with below), as women are in more need of the funds due to the severity of the crimes committed against them.
I am not denying that men are sometimes victims of domestic abuse -- the numbers show they are, to one extent or another. And I'm not denying that the Canadian government should supply funds for some type of assistance program, but I don't believe there is even close to enough clear data to lead to the conclusion that it should be put into a shelters program, even if the nation did have enough funds to give $500M+ to both.
If I were the one involved in trying to raise awareness of this issue, I would go about it by calling for money for more studies into whether or not a shelters program is really best for male victims, for more research into the nature of the abuse, and an extension of women's shelters to actually give assistance to males in need, at least temporarily (I don't know enough to say whether they actually do or not, even though they are supposed to). I would also quit comparing it too much to the plight of women, because it will ultimately attract the wrong types of people (of both genders) and can way too easily be misconstrued in this day and age as misogynistic or sexist (even though there may be the best of intentions in reality). Make the issue about men needing help because they need help, not about some idea that men are striving for equality with women.